FarmersBlog June 1st 2017 - Winter Has Come

Hello World!

Well I have been under a digital rock. But I am crawling out of my winter hibernation to throw out a huge thank you to all of you wonderful and food aware shoppers for supporting Somerset Heritage Produce again season. I feel like our produce and reached another level and have had lots of good feedback as well. A lot of vegetables have come out of the farm since my last post in November and we are still busily picking and planting and organising for the season ahead.

Chloe is rocking out Woodend Farmers Market this weekend and we will have lots of yummies for you to get your hands.

Thanks once again

Farmer Robbie

Back in the garden groove

Spring TIme! Summer fast approaching...ahhhhh

Well yes it's quite exiting that summer is just around the corner and we all get to eat 'real' Tomatoes and yummie's summer vegetables!

The garden has been producing with beautifully radiant abundance. And yes the weather has been cooler this year than last and we all have to wait a little bit longer for our favourite summer goodies so now is a good time to do a 30 day fast hehe ok well maybe a 3 day fast. 

It's been great having 2 f(Seymour, Keilor) farms in different parts of the state to grow in and this has increased my Somersets range of produce over larger parts of the season.  

FarmersBlog May 12th 2016

Hi Super Groovers

Hello World!

Just a quick hello from Farmer Robbie. The gardens have been produce some great produce this season and the new season Parsnips are something special. We are winding down into winter now and the recent rains are very welcome. All the plants love the rain so much. I wanted to make a special shout out to all our Flemington customs who came out to shop in the weather last Sunday. Awesome to have such committed customers. We have carrots for now but we cannot keep up with demand so at some stage in the next month or so we will have a gap. Ahhhhh. Oh thems the breaks. I had a wonderful meal at North East Paddock in Norhcote and I hear his heirloom French beets (Someset beets;) dish is very fine. We have put lots of late broccoli in this season so I am hoping for a good winter crop of sprouting broccoli at some stage too.

Enjoy eating. Not to much and mostly vegetables!

Farmerobbie

Farmersblog - December 2015. Enter the Dragon

There is an ancient story about a time long long ago....cough cough spew. The dragon of summer is here and we are all about to enter it's great jaws. As a market gardener when summer is extreme it comes down to preservation. Getting up and working in the early of the day then resting in the heat and continuing on into the evening. Watching and hoping the plants can cope and deal with the stress of the blistering heat. Let along staying cool and hydrated as humans. I have suffered heat stroke 3 times in my life (one was in Cambodia after a night on the turps!) so staying wet and drinking lots of water is essential for me and all on the farm. Summer can be a boom time in the garden with the massive abundance coming from the fruiting vegetables tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, chili and not to mention cucumber. At the same time there is a reliance on this extra income to carry the farm through the leaner winter and early spring months. Understanding what it takes to produce food is very important part of being human. Without it we simply wither and perish. If you are a fellow growing then good luck for the upcoming summer. Shade cloth, mulch, water and dedication are all essential to get by. If things go south then patience and gratitude are needed. And when you cannot give anymore Autumn cries out 'DON'T FORGET ME' and you have to tighten your belt and push harder. I have been living through this cycle for over 10 years and I keep coming back and living through it. It's like being on the edge. I keep jumping off knowing that I will be dragged back again. Knowing that I am part of peoples lives though the food I grow is very rewarding but maybe it's the cycle of life that I live so closely with that keeps me coming back and the sheer abundance and simplicity of it; eating whatever I am growing whenever I like the brings the most joy.  The dragon will come and the fire will burn then the phoenix rises and flies into the horizon where it goes nobody knows.

Farmerobbie

pictures - drying onions, mystery plants, burdock and the tomato patch

FarmersBlog - INTO October Eeek - 13/10/2015

To Bee or not to Bee - THAT IS THE QUESTION!

As you can see the Borage blossoms are out and if you get hay fever instead of smelling them you can always give them a kiss;) Asparagus, Broadbeans and almost sugar snap peas.

So I know it has been a long time. Yes i am sorry. But it's ok cos I'm back. Spent a wee bit of time on farmer break far away in another land where the fruit hang from the trees and there is no need to worry except for them dropping on your head@#$ ouch!

The garden is going gang busters. Planting at every opportunity, zuccini, eggplant, tomatoes capcicum, basil and the list goes on and on. It's super exiting time but also trying with the early hot weather and harsh hot winds bringing us a stark reminder of how much we rely on out earth to be in balance and with the ease that it can take everything we have and turn it upside down.

For our customers at Flemington we will be back soon and yes we have asparagus. At Hawthorn and Fairfeild this weekend. The Friday shop has been great but a bit quite the last few weeks oh where did everybody go?

So much going on. Big thanks to all our customers, volunteers, staff and the garden for giving so much and enjoying being part of a great farm that holds it's head high being apart of great communities around the state.

Boc Choi and Parsley (farewell and goodnight in Gardenish)

Farmerobbie

Farmers Blog - August 19th. New elements and Beetroot kraut.

Hi farmer lovers

The Seymour FM 103.9 radio show at the shop was sooo much fun:) Thanks Cynthia and her mega rad radio crew for their hard work to put a special 2 hour show together and for promoting a great show jam packed with fabulous guests and interesting segments. Unfortunately the element broke in my coffee machine!! And only on the second day which was the special radio promo!! As the saying goes 'if it's broke, FIX IT' And that's what we have done. To add to that starting this week in the shop is Lachie who has special skills behind coffee machines and also with vegetable too which is great. So please come and let us make you a coffee whilst you shop. 

New products at the shop are Great divide coffee, and Earth Belly's - Ginger and Tumeric kraut and Beetroot (my fav) Kraut (made from Somerset Heritage Produce vegetables;) The photo is of a Japanese Pancake 'Okonomiyaki' with the Beetroot kraut. German meets Japanese fusion!

Lots of goodies.

Lancefield Farmers Market this Saturday with Grace at the helm. Not long before spring now. Come on Spring'

Farmerobbie

FarmersBlog - Live Seymour FM Broadcast and Channel 9 at the market!

Ah hoi me matey's! There be a Live to air Seymour FM 103.9 Broadcast happening from 10am Tomorrow starting with Peter Lockyer's 'Earth Chat' and peaking after that with the fabulous Cynthia Lin's 'The Food Exchange' which will be featuring....Farmerobbie! (Wow what a big name hehe) It's going to be heaps of fun with other fun things lined up like kids story telling potentially live music and a whole lot more! So get your booty and come on down with your shopping bags and come check out the action. We now have organic hot chocolate, green teas from around the world and some herbal tea additions. Looking forward to seeing you there:)

Saturday I will be at Hawthorn Farmers Market which I have been told Channel 9 will be attending so you never know Seymour FM radio one day Channel 9 news the next!

Back to the important details, crazily charasmatic carrots, beautiful bright beetroot, perfectly petite parsnips and super sassy salad are just some of the goodies we will be supplying for you. The picture are of a new patch of turf I have taken over in Keilor @#DayswalkFarm. The farm has beautiful soil and gives me the opportunity to widen the growing season for our lovely loyal customers. Remember folks all the food Produced on my farms is organically grown in tune with nature. There are no chemicals of any kind used...ever! Farming for healthy people for now and the future with love and passion.

So enjoy the best nature has to offer and knowing that your supporting local people, eating ethically and tasting like vegetables should. Bloody delicious.

Your - Farmer - Robbie

Farmers Blog - Seymour Store a GOGO.

Hi Everyone

A Big 'Thank You!' To all the people who helped get the stall up and running today. Especial thanks to Mark Padgett 'the guy who can do anything kinda' Chris and Michelle for being awesome and making the Coffee sing. Michelle's version of swan lake in the coffee's photo;) Sophie for taking care of the shop this arvo and mum for coming and being super helpful. And also a big thank you to my farm team Carl, grace and Miyuki. You mob Rock!

The day was a success and there were lots of complements and plenty of exitment. Woohoo. See you next Friday and "Farmgate' Seymour;0

Farmer Robbie

Farmersblog - Farm express. August 3rd 2015.

Helllllooo World

'Where Have you been Farmerobbie?' You all ask. Never fear I am back on the horse...well the laptop at least. As the snow starts to melt and the farmer awakes from his social hibernation there are signs of life all around. The bees are hungrily gather winters blossom and the snakes are shifting in there old clothes. The farmer yawns and decides he better start sowing tomatoes and...get on with it!

So that's what I am going to do.

The shop OMG! Is officially opening this Friday. Just one day a week to start and looking to do at least another day so if you have a day you would like us to be open let us know and we will go with the popular vote:) The shop will have mostly fruit and vegetables. I am also looking at incorporating dry goods sultanas, nuts etc and we also have a coffee machine and will be sourcing locally roasted fair trade coffee and eventually have nice teas as well. It's fun, it's cool and Seymour finally gets some lane way culture;)

Selling this week at Flemington Farmers market on Sunday and delivery on Thursday's to great cafe's and restaurants in Melbourne. It's wet wet wet and we need more for the catchments so everybody get out and shake your rain making booty!

Your social networking hibernator

Farmerobbie
 

Gardeners and florists are the happiest of all the professions, says a new book by a UK economist and behavioral scientist Professor Paul Dolan.

Gardeners and florists are the happiest of all the professions, says a new book by a UK economist and behavioral scientist Professor Paul Dolan.

In contrast, only 44 per cent of bankers said they were happy.

We are now excepting interns. Happy times await you. :)

INTERN POSITION: http://www.somersetheritageproduce.com/farmers-blog/2015/5/19/do-you-want-to-be-a-farmer-we-are-now-taking-interns

Read more about the study: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/the-happiest-jobs-gardeners-florists-and-hairdressers-top-the-list-20150516-gh31mg.html

Do you want to be a farmer and grow vegetables? We are now taking interns!

Have you ever considered being a farmer and growing vegetables organically?  Then we would love to talk to you, because we are now taking interns for the first time. 

Somerset Heritage Produce is a successful example of a medium sized organic market garden, 4.6 acres to be exact (we actually like to call it a farm). We supply lots of Melbourne’s top restaurants, visit farmers markets and even have a farm gate stall for the locals. We want to empower more people to grow vegetables and fruit. That is why we are starting to take interns. Our goal is to teach people how to run all aspects of a farm over a one-year period.

Skills you will learn:

• How to  grow over 200 varieties if fruit and vegetables organically. From field to plate.
• How to prepare and sell produce for farmers markets, restaurants and box schemes.
• How to drive a tractor and other fun farm machinery.
• Crop rotation and intensive growing techniques.
• Farmer self-care and healthy eating.
• Chemical free gardening
• Healthy soil husbandry.

What you will get:

• A stipend for travel expenses.
• Free yummy food.
• Accommodation if necessary.
• Opportunities for paid overtime and future employment.

Requirements:

• Manual drivers license.
• To be good with people. 

Please fill in the form below and we will be in touch. Thanks, Farmer Robbie and the team. 

Name *

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email Address *

Phone Number *

Why do you want to be a farmer? (In less than 200 words) *

When can you start?

Do you have your manual drivers licence *

yes

no

Thank you!

Farmersblog - What's up on the farm. May 5th 2015.

What's Up. The farm is coming into chillage season. We are putting coats and beanies on the Carrots, blankets on beans and finger socks on everyfing! The garlic is up and about, corn almost fizzled out, relishing the radish and rhubarbs reseeding. 

Exiting news in the pipeline is a potential Seymour stall site. More to be announced on this soon but having a presence in town would be an exiting development so more people have access to quality, local and definitely the FRESHEST Produce going around.

I have had a few conversations recently about the cost of vegetables and how cheap vegetables are more accessable for family's, low income people, and richer people who are tight wads. Fair enough. One thing coming out of Four Corners program is about the use and treatment of overseas workers on Australia vegetable farms amounting to claims of abuse and slave like treatment all to bring us food at a lower price. If you ask yourself "I would like my food to be picked by an abused slave' or by a young empowered farmer'. Think about which one you would chose and if it's the later come and buy your stuff from us. Proud locally grown empowered Australian and international farmers work here and are looked after properly and care about you having the best tasting, sustainably and ethically grown produce.  Your decisions make a difference.  

Carl is heading the team this week whilst I take a mini break. Joy. And Sophie will be at Flemington farmers market with Myuki.

The picture here is some pumpkin varieties that we grew this year and Mark holding a Giant Masque de Province pumpkin in our new cool room!

Dig up, Rug up and roll down your local Farmers Market or local Friday Stall this weekend heaps of goodies on offer:)

Farmerobbie

Farmersblog - Broccoli! 1/4/2015.

Long Time No Blog

Well It's wind down time (kinda, not really) but that means we can spend more time inside cooking and sleeping Yea! Some pics here of white beetroot  kale in the sun and beautiful mulched Parsley! Oh yes we have the 1st broccoli too!

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At the moment we are busily removing old tomato plants, planting lots of root crops and preparing to plant garlic and broadbeans. Last week Dani Venn, thewholeheartedcook.com, who is a chef promoting healthy foods and keeping it real was at the farm. It was great having her up and sharing stories from the farm. Check her out.

Important information!! The Friday stall is on this Friday. Only Until 1pm as it is Easter Friday. So please come down early if you need your weekly produce.

I am at Woodend on Saturday so please come and say g'day.

Thanks to everyone for supporting us it's been a good summer so we are able to keep growing into the future. Your locally farmed food future is secure. Special thank from the team

Carl, Grace, Mark, Aya, Robbie and all the helpers and volunteers.

grow with love

Farmer Robbie

Farmersblog - Coming Back. 16th March 2015.

Hellllo from the Farm

Coming back into ourselves as the sun's apeture becomes lower over the sky the days decent into nights and we feel the urge to fill our bellies with hardy flavoursome winter style fare. I love winter and the cold - time to reflect  - as I get a break from the break neck fury of summer and the seemingly endless abundance that he brings from the garden. This year's highlight (reverse psychology) was the invasion of fruit fly into our community for the 1st time. Everyone was going a into red alert mode and though we have had some evidence of there presence on the farm I still have not seen an adult fruit fly here!?  
 

Some happy snaps brings to you a 'Watermelons Radish' which I peeled to give the impression of a flower (much more like a radish than a watermelon!) The white eggplants that I have been enjoying this season and the morning mist that greets us here on the river when the heat from the ground mixed with the crisp nights creates a eery mist and godly dawns.

Special thanks to the crew at Cumulus who served up a delightful feast on Saturday night the green tomato gazpacho soup was very delicious and the pumpkin sorbet expertly crafted. It was a lovely evening.

Quadruple treat this weekend. Friday Stall with Sophie and Carl, Fairfeild with Aya and Hawthorn (me) on  Saturday and Fleminton (Brother Jimmy mixing the deck aka selling vegetables) on Sunday. The summer feasting will end soon enough so come and enjoy it before we're all eating broccoli again!

Your Farmer

Farmer Robbie

Farmers-blog. Double Rainbow. 18th Feb 2015.

Ah hem....ah ah ah hem... oh hello there it's F.R here reporting from the farm. The Fridges are full the farmers are feeling it and Friday is another word that begins with food. It's raining rocket, rockmelon, typhooning tomato's and tat soi, elaborating eggplants and cascading capsicum! 

I was meant to tell you all last week I had the big brekky at the Railway Hotel in Windsor and there pork sausages and cutlets were which come from their farm in Strathbogie. They were super!

This weekend we have all the stars aligning in the ultimate combobulation!! Starts with Friday stall where it will be going off. Watermelons and Rock melons Galore. Corn is back with a vengence and everything is oh so succulent.

Saturday sees us at both Hawthorn Farmers market and Fairfeild the stall is bursting at the seems with amazingness and on Sunday trusty Flemington Farmers Market. We will be tired little farmers so come and support great fresh clean produce from Aussie growers. We are doing our bit so come and do yours:)

Looking forward to seeing my peeps at Hawthorn. Aya is at Fairfeild and Flemington.

A quick list of what we have

Tomatoes 8 varieties, cherry tomatoes (best ever and I mean we have been converting people) eggplant so sweet, zuccini, cucumbers armenian and Lebanese, Capcicums gourmet varieties, corn, kales, rhubarb, rockemlon, watermelon, potatos (dutch cream, kifler, charlotte) rocket salad mix, spinach, leeks, pumpkins (4 varieties) garlic, basil, dill, coriander, beetroots and carrots the ultimate mix. All from out farm and all organically and biodynamically grown with love and caring.

 We had a double rainbow today so cool;)

And a quick shout out to our new Yea customers. 'Hello' I hope your enjoying your goodies. Thanks Claire for being the driving force (no pun intended)

Farmer Robbie

Farmersblog - Much ado about shoppin'. 4th February 2015.

Hi Good people of Melbourne and the greater universe!

Some pictures of the food stuffs we've been producing. This time of year is pretty exiting with oodles of goodies rolling off the farm. The tomatoes are splendid and you can see for yourself the different varieties we have been taking to market. Also the beautiful capsicums, carrots (check the hand model;) Roma Tomatoes. There is a weeding action shot to boot! Also me at Hawthorn market last week which was heaps of fun and great to see our regulars getting exited over the summer fare.

I was not going to talk recipes this week but I just had Japanese GYOZA!! A bit of a staple special at the farm but this time was so cool because inside the steam fried dumpling delights was a mixture of our garlic, baby leeks and wild spinach (aka fat hen) wow the wild spinach worked a treat a new taste/texture sensation:0

This weekend there is a crazy market double, Woodend and Flemingtion!! Carl will be canoodling carrots at the sidestall

Its a seven day week this week so come and keep us company and get the best out great land has to offer;)

Farmerobbie and Co.

Farmersblog - Food is to good. Jan 29th 2015.

With this cooler summer weather about I have been getting hunggree. mmm. Our resident  Japanese master cheffy, Misaki Tada, has been at it again this time stuffing summer vegetables with all sort of goodies. The first picture is of red Pimento Capsicums with quinoa, greens salad, delicate shaved Pompeii onions in light dressing with chive flowers and purple basil. Oh yes this was a winner. Round '2' from the stadium kitchen was stuffed Rondo zuccini with soy bechamel, (last nights pesteo pasta - very resourceful;) some sliced red pimento peppers inside and greens + in season juicy blood plum salad. All with a side of Zuccini soup that tasted.....that actually tasted super!

This week Carl's at the side stall.

I am at Hawthorn with Hite (super awesome Korean guy - you should meet him hehe) and Juliette with the French touch.

Our selection is second to non anywhere at the moment so come and check out the stall and enjoy the best of summer:) and make yourself some gourmet delights.

Farmer Robbie

Farmersblog - Awake summer! January 5th - 2015.

Hi Folks

So summery up here in Seymour and the garden is humming along nicely. All the work sweat and tears we have put in over the last 4 months are starting to come into fruition. The tomatoes are looking dappa with new tasty varieties such as red Zebra, purple top and blueberry setting the scene for a truly special tomato experience. 

Thanks to our customers at Woodend for coming out and the the Macedon ranges sustainability group for the beautiful barbequed sweet corn that we supplied. Great to see the little ones chowing down on a stick of bi colour corn.

So now the really hard work starts as we harvest summer crops and prepare for the Autumn crops. Luckily the days are long and the river is right next door to offer cool relief to the farmers at Somerset Heritage Produce.

Thanks to all those who helped on the farm this year and to our customers who are what makes doing this business worthwhile.

Flemington next Sunday with a super range of produce!

Chow for now

Robbie K

Farmersblog - Farm Action - 17th December 2014.

It's been almost a month since my last post and well quite frankly I have been one busy little farm manager. I was doing delivery in the car to Melbourne and on these rather pretty coriander flowers I found a famous farm friend. A lady bug. 'Well what the hell have you been doing on the farm!' you are thinking! It's simple really weeding (so glamorous) mulching, watering, planting, fixing, organising, selling, sharing, cooking, swimming, and of course eating! The Tomatoes are looking bulky the zuccini are flexing their 'we can feed the world' credentials the basil pestoing, rhubarb is crumbling and the corn is almost ready for cooking! We are delivery to beautiful eateries around Melbourne and this week is pre xmas madness at Lancefeild and Hawthorn.

Eat well and be merry I'll be ho ho hoeing

Farmer Robbie

Farmers Blog. OMG 23rd November - 2014.

OMG - Oh my Golden Elk!

Yes the fabulous mustard green that is fluffy and delicious! I have heard about this salad green for years but only just started growing Golden Elk and am happy to share with everyone this yummy salad green. Well the farmer has been blog AWOL and I always feel remiss missing my garden updates. So here goes.

The tomatoes are growing steadily along with bell peppers, eggplants, pumpkins, watermelon, rockmelon, cucumbers, zuccinis, spuds etc etc!! In the photos you can see the variety that we grow together quite the opposite of mono-culture and the lady bugs get to hop from the weeds the coriander and dance along the carrots. Beautiful golden orb spiders are casting their webs everywhere and snakes are chasing down vermin and thankfully keeping out of sight!

Being super busy on the farm its easy to lose sight of the amazing array of life and biology all around us on the farm but its also right there in your face quite literally (thanks golden orbs;)

Some crazyier news is that we missed market at Flemington  a fortnight ago due to a car crash but luckily no one was hurt. Very lucky. The car has gone to car heaven and lots of broken vegetables. Sad. The farmers left licking their wounds mostly emotional so still very lucky to be alive.

One of the places I am delivering to in Melbourne is Shoku Iku on High St Westgarth. It is a raw vegan cafe and the energy of the food is second to none in Melbourne. The raw white chocolate and orange cake is the bomb! I highly recommend this place;)

peas and Love to all

farmerobbie